Switchboard apparatus.



J. A. WOTTON.

SWITCHBOARD APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.21. 1913.

1,159,562. I Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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JAMES ASHLEY WOTIOII, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VTESTERN ELECTRIC COL IEANY, OF NEW YGRK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

swrrcnnonnn APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed November 21, 1913. Serial NO. 802,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES AsHLnY Worron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switchboard Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to switchboard apparatus and more particularly to a strip of lamp sockets adapted to be mounted in the switchboard and adapted to receive a plurality of signal lamps.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mounting strip for lamp sockets of few and simple parts in which all of the current carrying parts are thoroughly insulated from adjacent contact parts.

In accordance with one feature of this invention there is provided a mounting strip having a contact strip common to all of the lamp sockets and an individual contact spring for each lamp socket so mounted that upon the insertion of a lamp only its individual contact spring is moved.

Novel means are also provided for securing and maintaining each individual contact spring in position with the minimum number of separate parts. This feature consists in the provision of means integral With the spring which engages with a strip upon which said spring is mounted to retain it in position.

This invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention, and wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of the top of a strip of lamp sockets embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the bottom of a strip of lamp sockets; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a strip of lamp sockets; Fig. 4 is a View on lines 4.& of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of various parts of the strip of lamp sockets before assembly.

As shown in the drawings, the strip of lamp sockets comprises a sheet metal frame or support having a main portion 10, to each end of which are formed cars 11 for fastening said strip in a switchboard, and having a rear portion 12 ofiset and out of the plane of the main portion 10, contact springs of the sockets being mounted on said rear portion. An insulating strip 13 of micarta or other suitable materlal is held 1n place on the main portion 10 by means of bent projections 14- punched from said main portion.

Forming one terminal of all of the sockets in the strip is a contact strip 15 having formed at each end thereof a projection 16 which serves as a means for holding said terminal in place and as a means for making connection to one of the usual battery leads. Individual contact springs 20 for each lamp socket are mounted upon the rear portion 12 by means of screws 21 and are insulated from said rear portion by means of a strip 22 of micarta or other suitable material. The heads of the screws 21 are insulated from the springs 20 by means of washers 23 of micarta or other suitable material.

The screws 21 pass through openings 24: in the springs 20 which are of a larger diameter than the screw, and are insulated therefrom by means of bushings 29. All screws 21 with the exception of those fastening the end springs engage embossed threaded openings 25 in the rear portion 12.

The end screws pass through openings in the projections 16 of the contact strip 15 and are engaged by nuts 27, the projections 16 being insulated from the nuts 27 and the rear portion 12 by means of washers 28 of micarta or other suitable material and from the screws 21 by means of bushings (not shown).

In order to prevent rotation of each sprim 20 about its respective screw 21, the rear end thereof, which forms a terminal, is offset and out of the same plane of the main portion of said spring, as at 35, said ofiset portion engaging a notch 36 in the insulating strip 22, and a projection 37 is punched from the main portion of the spring and is bent to engage an opening 88 in the insulating strip 22 and enters an opening 39, in the rear portion 12 of the frame, larger than the opening 38 to prevent grounding of the spring 20 on the frame. The front portion of the spring 20 may be offset and out of the plane of the main portion thereof, as at 10, to provide suitable space for the reception of signal lamp 41 and bent lugs 4.2 may be formed 011 the margins of said offset portion 410 to maintain the position of said lamps between the springs 20 and the contact strip 15.

A front plate 45 of any suitable material is detachably secured on the front of the main portion 10 of the frame 9 by means of screws 46. The front plate to is provided with a plurality of openings 47, one for each socket, in line with the ends of the springs 20 through which the signal lamp l1 may be inserted between the contact springs 20 and the contact strip 15, and in which may be held lamp capsS.

It is generally conceded that the strip of lamp sockets should be thin sothat a great number may be mounted in the switchboard. In general, in the construction of a strip of lamp sockets, there have been used for each lamp socket two contact springs be tween which a lamp is inserted. Due to the relative thinness of the lamp socket, it is important when the lamp is inserted be tween the springs thereof that said springs move an equal distance to accommodate the lamp, in order that the grounding or crossing of one or the other of the springs with the frame and with springs of an adjacent strip of spring jacks may be prevented. It has been diflicult to obtain the same de 'ree of resiliency in the springs, and therefhre, with existing construction, it has been diificult to prevent the grounding or crossing of the springs.

It will be seen that this invention, in providing a common contact strip for all of the amp sockets and held in a definite position, and by providing for each lamp socket an individual contact spring adapted to be moved upon the insertion of the lamp, overcomes the above mentioned difiiculty. It will also beseen that by the use of a minimum number of parts, as is possible under this invention, the strip of lamp sockets may be readily and easily, assembled, thereby greatly reducing thecost of the structure.

VVhatI claim is: r r

1. In a strip of lamp sockets, a sheet metal frame having an off-set rear portion, a com- Inon contact strip forming one terminal of each lamp socket, projecting terminals for said contact strip passing through slots in said frame and secured underneath said offset rear portion, and a plurality of, contact springs mounted upon the upper side of said rear portion, said contact strip and the forward portion of each of said contact springs being arranged in superposed relation to receive signal lamps.

2. In a strip of lamp sockets, a sheet metal frame having an off-set rear portion, a common contact strip forming one terminal of each lamp socket and having projections passing through openings in said frame and secured underneath said ofl -set rear portion for holding said contact strip in place, a plurality of contact springs mounted above and upon said off-set rear portion, said contact strip and the forward portion of each of said contact springs being arranged'in superposed relation to receive-signal lamps, and downwardly extending lugs formed on the margins of each of said contact springs for maintaining the signal lamps between said springs and said contact strip.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of November A. 1)., 1913. V

JAMES ASHLEY WOTTON.

Witnesses: V V s VVALTER J. FENTON, MURRAY V. CONATY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner; of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

